China: Tangshan rolling mills mandated to suspend production

• Concerns about air quality in Beijing prompt output curbs
• Sections supply to be unaffected amid ample in-plant stocks 

Mysteel: Some independent section steel rolling mills in Tangshan, the top steelmaking hub in North China’s Hebei province, have received city government orders to halt their operations during 25 August-3 September 2025.

In fact, all independent steel rolling mills in Tangshan, which lies just 155 km east of Beijing, have been mandated to shut down during the given period to ensure good air quality before a series of ceremonial events held in the country’s capital on 3 September, sources added.

The events, including a grand military parade, are to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Moreover, these rolling mills in Tangshan could be compelled to suspend their production in advance during 16-25 August if local air quality is worse than expected, according to the sources.

With these new production curbs, the combined output of section steels produced by the 35 section re-rollers in Tangshan under Mysteel’s regular monitoring is expected to decline by 90,000 tonnes (t)/day, Mysteel assessed.

Currently, Tangshan’s rolling mills still hold sufficient in-plant stocks of section steel, so the market is unlikely to see a supply shortage in the short term, a Shanghai-based analyst said. Nonetheless, the expected production cuts could drive up section steel prices in the foreseeable future while causing billet stocks in Tangshan to mount further, she predicted.

Total billet inventories piled in the four commercial warehouses and at the two ports in Tangshan under Mysteel’s tracking had risen for the eighth straight week to 1.27 million tonnes (mnt) by 7 August, the highest since late February.

Note: This article has been written in accordance with a content exchange agreement between Mysteel Global and BigMint.